I hadn't been up to the summit of Wildcat Mountain in quite a while, and for an overdue re-visit I opted for the quieter southern approach via Wildcat River Trail. After parking at the Bog Brook Trail trailhead (the last half-mile of Carter Notch Rd. is gettin' kinda rough), I set off on FR 233, thus avoiding three stream crossings on the lower part of Bog Brook Trail. It's easier walking and only 0.3 mile longer to go this way.
Turning onto Wildcat River Trail.
Crossing Bog Brook.
Some nice stretches of easy walking on this trail.
The Wildcat River.
Junction with Wild River Trail.
Crossing of Wildcat River. Not difficult on this day.
Nice section through hardwood and birch up on the west side of the valley.
June lushness.
As it approaches Carter Notch, the trail crosses the outwash from a long, narrow slide that fell off the steep flank of Wildcat B during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. Here I left the trail to go a little way up on the slide to check out its rapid revegetation, as shown on a Google Earth image from 2025.
As during my last trip here in 2013, I came to an impassable chockstone not far up the track.
Time to bushwhack around.
Boulders deposited along the edge of the track.
Evidence of a slide-bagging moose.
The revegetation on this bouldery slide has been remarkable. At this elevation, primarily by yellow birch with a bit of mountain ash mixed in.
Not much of a view here anymore.
The view when the slide was fresh.
Big rocks in here.
The scene in 2013.
After ascending a couple hundred feet, I headed back down through gnarly terrain beside the slide.
Back on Wildcat River Trail, ascending to Carter Notch.
There is a large trampled campsite just before this Forest Protection Area sign.
This wild jumble of boulders is one of the neat features of Carter Notch.
Looking up to the craggy bowl on the side of Carter Dome.
The classic U-shape of Carter Notch.
Partial view south towards Black Mountain.
Wildcat looms on the east side.
The main building at Carter Notch Hut, which dates back to 1914.
The smaller and lower of the two Carter Ponds was pretty full. In dry summers it can be more rocks than water.
Looking south toward the Rampart.
The larger Upper Carter Pond is especially attractive. I love this quote from Winthrop Packard in his 1917 book, White Mountain Trails: "I wonder if every pilgrim does not at this point laugh with pure joy
and caper a bit on road-weary legs, for here in the gruesome depths of
the great Notch, at the climax point of its wildness, is a little clear
mountain lake where surely no lake could be, set in thousand-ton
fragments of mighty broken ledges."
Looking up at the cliffs of Wildcat.
Up to the height-of-land in the Notch on Nineteen Mile Brook Trail. Time to face the rocky 1100-ft. climb to Wildcat.
Yup, it's steep and rocky.
Revegetation is also claiming the 1995 slide that the trail crosses partway up (potentially hazardous in winter). The northern view is getting more restricted.
The slide as it looks on the uphill side of the trail.
There are a bazillion rock steps on this section of Wildcat Ridge Trail, which makes a gigantic switchback as it clings to the steep slope.
This slope would be a bushwhacking nightmare.
An early view of Carter Dome.
What seems to be the steepest pitch is right before the top.
Looking down that pitch, and out towards South and Middle Carter.
A little ledge scramble near the top.
A ledge down-scramble leads to the summit viewpoint.
Looking across Carter Notch to the massive Carter Dome.
This small but very steep slide is recent, perhaps triggered by the December 2023 rainstorm.
Looking north along the Carter Range.
The distant view through Zeta Pass includes several of the high peaks in the Rangeley Lakes region.
The Carter Dome bowl.
Looking down at the Carter Lakes and Carter Notch Hut.
To the SE, South Baldface, Sable and Chandler.
The Doubleheads and Kearsarge North.
A knee-jarring descent.
Homeward bound on Wildcat River Trail.
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